editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94International correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is based in Berlin and covers Central Europe for NPR. Her reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning programs including Morning Editio n and All Things Considered . She was previously based in Cairo and covered the Arab World for NPR from the Middle East to North Africa. Nelson returns to Egypt on occasion to cover the tumultuous transition to democracy there. In 2006, Nelson opened the NPR Kabul Bureau. During the following three and a half years, she gave listeners in an in-depth sense of life inside Afghanistan, from the increase in suicide among women in a country that treats them as second class citizens to the growing interference of Iran and Pakistan in Afghan affairs. For her coverage of Afghanistan, she won a Peabody Award, Overseas Press Club Award and the Gracie in 2010. She received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award from Colby College in 2011 for her coverage in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Nelson spent 20 years asNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonMon, 30 Apr 2018 00:05:02 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelsonhttp://wwno.org
Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonFor Germans, Friday's working session between President Trump and Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House proved unexpectedly cordial and, at times, odd. The chancellor, who is usually reserved, looked surprised when Donald Trump greeted her with a kiss on each cheek, a move the president seemed to have picked up from the French during the first state visit by France's president, Emmanuel Macron, earlier this week. It is not, however, a German tradition, and the pecks drew a flurry of German commentary, including from the daily tabloid giant Bild , which referred in a video to the intimate greeting as the "first surprise" of the Trump-Merkel meeting. Other surprises followed, including Trump repeatedly shaking Merkel's hand. (Their first meeting is best remembered for its lack of handshakes.) The president also gushed over the chancellor winning a fourth term. He even appeared to adopt Merkel's trademark posture – known in Germany as the "raute" – by pressing his fingertips into aMerkel And Trump Meeting Includes Some Strange Moments, But No Tangible Resultshttp://wwno.org/post/merkel-and-trump-meeting-includes-some-strange-moments-no-tangible-results
140472 as http://wwno.orgSat, 28 Apr 2018 12:29:00 +0000Merkel And Trump Meeting Includes Some Strange Moments, But No Tangible ResultsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonUpdated at 12:38 p.m. ET Solidarity marches to protest anti-Semitism are planned in Berlin and other German cities on Wednesday after an attack last week on a man wearing a yarmulke sparked widespread outrage. The attack in Berlin, caught on video, involved a 21-year-old man wearing a Jewish skullcap, also called a kippa, who was suddenly attacked by an assailant calling out "Yahudi!" — the Arabic word for Jew. The man being attacked replies, "Jew or no Jew you have to deal with it." A 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker later turned himself in, claiming to be the attacker. The victim, who suffered bruises, told Deutsche Welle that he is not in fact Jewish but an Israeli Arab who had donned the cap as an "experiment" to disprove a friend who warned that it had become unsafe to wear a kippa in Germany. ( Warning: Some readers may find the video disturbing.) Israeli's Haaretz newspaper writes: "An interview by Israeli broadcaster Kan identified the 21-year-old as Israeli Adam Armoush andGermany's Jewish Community Responds After Man Attacked For Wearing Yarmulkehttp://wwno.org/post/germanys-jewish-community-responds-after-man-attacked-wearing-yarmulke
140263 as http://wwno.orgWed, 25 Apr 2018 09:28:00 +0000Germany's Jewish Community Responds After Man Attacked For Wearing YarmulkeSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonFor four years, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over its aggression in Ukraine. The measures restrict travel and target assets of key individuals linked to the Kremlin. But Ukraine says there's one major confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin whom the Europeans should consider sanctioning, but haven't — former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. "It is important that there are sanctions against those who promote Putin's projects abroad," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told German newspaper Bild last month. "Gerhard Schroeder is the most important lobbyist for Putin worldwide." The Ukrainian official's comments came after a Wall Street Journal opinion piece also questioned why Schroeder has avoided sanctions. The 74-year-old Social Democrat is simultaneously one of Germany's most loved and almost most hated postwar leaders. Schroeder became chancellor in 1998 and oversaw a sweeping overhaul of the country's welfare and laborWhy Putin's Pal, Germany's Ex-Chancellor Schroeder, Isn't On A Sanctions Listhttp://wwno.org/post/why-putins-pal-germanys-ex-chancellor-schroeder-isnt-sanctions-list
139858 as http://wwno.orgWed, 18 Apr 2018 13:04:00 +0000Why Putin's Pal, Germany's Ex-Chancellor Schroeder, Isn't On A Sanctions ListSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonWhat do a chicken, gorilla, invisible man and Santa Claus have in common? They are all candidates on ballots that will be cast during parliamentary elections in Hungary on Sunday. These costumed humans belong to a satirical political party started in Hungary in 2006. It is called "Two-Tailed Dog," known by its Hungarian acronym MKKP, and is fielding candidates in various districts for the first time in nationwide elections. Gergely Kovács , the party's founder and leader, said it all makes perfect sense: "Santa Claus has got lots of spare time because he works only one day a year, so he can campaign for us." The invisible man, he added, "is very useful because it's very easy to Photoshop him" onto pictures of important people like the pope. As for the chicken and gorilla, "We are a dog party, so we welcome animals." Who wouldn't want to vote for his party? It promises free beer plus eternal life – plus 20 years, because the party had to sweeten the pot now that it is running inHungary's Satirical 'Two-Tailed Dog' Party Will Debut In Sunday Electionshttp://wwno.org/post/hungarys-satirical-two-tailed-dog-party-will-debut-sunday-elections
139216 as http://wwno.orgSat, 07 Apr 2018 09:00:00 +0000Hungary's Satirical 'Two-Tailed Dog' Party Will Debut In Sunday ElectionsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: In Hungary, two of the biggest political parties are going through a dramatic change. The current prime minister and his one-time Centrist Party are embracing the rhetoric that once belonged to their main rival. That far-right faction, in turn, is taking a more mainstream approach. So which party's message will get through to voters? That will become more clear after this Sunday, when Hungarians vote in national elections. Here's NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: So far, Hungarian opinion polls show Viktor Orban and his Fidesz Party in the lead. It likely has something to do with them embracing policies championed by the far-right Jobbik Party. PETER KREKO: There is definitely a demand for radicalism in Hungary, and it's pretty big. SARHADDI NELSON: Peter Kreko is a political scientist and co-author of "The Hungarian Far Right." KREKO: Fidesz took out the wind from the sails of Jobbik. And theyHungary's Prime Minister Embraces Far-Right Policies, May Reap Election Win http://wwno.org/post/hungarys-prime-minister-embraces-far-right-polices-may-reap-election-win
138951 as http://wwno.orgTue, 03 Apr 2018 11:46:00 +0000Hungary's Prime Minister Embraces Far-Right Policies, May Reap Election Win Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: A love story turned murder mystery is sparking mass protests across Slovakia and even led to the collapse of that government there earlier this week. But that wasn't enough for many Slovaks who took to the streets again last night, as NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the capital Bratislava demanding justice and new elections. It was the third time in as many weeks they packed the square named for Slovak uprisings. There haven't been any protests this size here since the Velvet Revolution. Those demonstrations brought down communism in 1989. The catalyst for the country's outrage began in what nowadays is the heavily guarded newsroom of Aktuality.sk. For nearly three years, Jan Kuciak worked at this online news portal as an investigative journalist covering corruption. Next to his darkened computer screen, there's a book on the Italian mafia, which aSlovaks Protest After Journalist's Killinghttp://wwno.org/post/slovaks-protest-after-journalists-killing
138020 as http://wwno.orgSat, 17 Mar 2018 12:13:00 +0000Slovaks Protest After Journalist's KillingSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: The killing of a journalist in a central European country of Slovakia has now led to the collapse of the government there. The journalist was murdered together with his fiancee after reporting on corruption by foreign businessmen in Slovakia. Some of them were alleged to have had links with the country's prime minister. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is in the capital, Bratislava, and joins us now. Soraya, I'll start by having you back up and explain who this man was, this young man, this murdered journalist. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Well, Rachel, he was 27 years old. His name was Jan Kuciak, and he and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, they were at home. And somebody came into their house and shot them both dead at point-blank range in what looked like a hit killing. And so this happened in late February, and the country here was just outraged by this. I mean, it's like the fact that somebody would come into a home and doSlovakia's Government In Turmoil After Journalist's Deathhttp://wwno.org/post/slovakias-government-turmoil-after-journalists-death
137902 as http://wwno.orgThu, 15 Mar 2018 16:40:00 +0000Slovakia's Government In Turmoil After Journalist's DeathSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonHungary and Poland have come to each other's defense on and off since the Middle Ages. And they are doing so now as the European Union increases pressure on the two countries to tamp down what Brussels views as their attacks on democracy. The power of their alliance was evident during a meeting Thursday in Brussels between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The two were trying to resolve concerns the EU has about the independence of Poland's courts after the government dramatically increased its control of the judiciary. That action led the European Commission last December to trigger an unprecedented Article 7 proceeding against Warsaw. Nicknamed the "nuclear option," it could ultimately lead to Poland losing EU voting rights if it fails to comply with EU demands by March 20. But in his meeting with Juncker, Morawiecki pushed back. He handed the commission leader a 96-page document, which warned that EU attempts to pressureHow Poland And Hungary Are Forming A Powerful Tag Team Against Brusselshttp://wwno.org/post/how-poland-and-hungary-are-forming-powerful-tag-team-against-brussels
137627 as http://wwno.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 12:45:00 +0000How Poland And Hungary Are Forming A Powerful Tag Team Against BrusselsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: German cities got the green light today from a German high court to start banning diesel vehicles. It's part of an effort to cut air pollution caused by diesel engines. The move is not necessarily good news for German politicians who fear a backlash from millions of affected car owners and businesses if the ban goes ahead. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Berlin is one of nearly 70 communities in Germany that exceed limits on nitrogen oxides emissions set by the EU to protect people's health. With today's federal administrative court ruling, officials here and in those other cities will have to step up their efforts to curb such pollution so they aren't forced to impose bans on diesel cars on some or all of their streets. Many Germans would prefer to avoid the bans altogether. Stuttgart Mayor Fritz Kuhn, whose city was one of two at the center of the case, is with the environmentally friendlyGerman High Court Rules That Cities Can Ban Diesel Vehicles To Reduce Pollutionhttp://wwno.org/post/german-high-court-rules-cities-can-ban-diesel-vehicles-reduce-pollution
136734 as http://wwno.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 21:04:00 +0000German High Court Rules That Cities Can Ban Diesel Vehicles To Reduce PollutionSoraya Sarhaddi Nelsonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdukS5Ac2wM They are both Hungarian. They are both powerful. And three decades ago, they both worked to topple communism in their homeland. But any alliance between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros is long over. Orbán, 54, has turned on his onetime benefactor in a battle that appears nasty and personal, at least in public. Each calls the other a serious threat to Hungarians. Orbán accuses Soros — a Jewish émigré who survived Nazi-occupied Hungary and later made his fortune in America — of trying to wrest control of their native country from those elected to office. The prime minister vows to stop the 87-year-old investor and business magnate who is spending most of his fortune promoting liberal and progressive causes around the world, including democracy building in the former Eastern bloc. (Soros' Open Society Foundations have been a financial supporter of NPR.) During a speech last November to hisHungary's Leader Proposes 'Stop Soros' Laws Against NGOs That Help Migrantshttp://wwno.org/post/hungarian-prime-ministers-feud-george-soros-escalates
136461 as http://wwno.orgFri, 23 Feb 2018 13:10:00 +0000Hungary's Leader Proposes 'Stop Soros' Laws Against NGOs That Help MigrantsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: In countries that have a coalition government, the reality for a leader is you can't control who your friends are. Leading means making deals, which was the case for Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. Parliamentary elections were more than four months ago, and it's taken this long for Merkel to form a government. Her conservatives, this morning, finalized a deal with the center-left Social Democrats. The good news is Germany will now have a functioning government. But for some observers, their worst fear has come true. The country's main opposition will now be Alternative for Germany, a far-right party that's been gaining influence. Let's talk through all of this with NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson who's in Berlin. Soraya, good morning. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Good morning, David. GREENE: So can I get this straight? It's been, like, four months of deal-making and back-and-forth. And Germany has landed with the exact sameGerman Parties Reportedly Form Coalition Governmenthttp://wwno.org/post/german-parties-reportedly-form-coalition-government
135432 as http://wwno.orgWed, 07 Feb 2018 10:23:00 +0000German Parties Reportedly Form Coalition GovernmentSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonHungary has quietly closed its borders to nearly all asylum seekers, which human rights advocates say violates international laws and is stranding thousands of refugee families in Serbia. NPR interviewed asylum seekers, refugee advocates and a lawyer all with direct knowledge of the near closure and the resulting panic and despair. They report that since Jan. 22, Hungary is allowing only one asylum seeker per day to cross from Serbia into each of its two "transit zones." The widely criticized zones – surrounded by barbed wire and dotted with shipping containers configured into living space — are the only places asylum seekers entering Hungary are allowed to go unless they already have refugee status from another EU country. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi last September likened the transit zones to detention centers and called on Hungary to improve access for asylum seekers . Now, access is reduced to two people per day. Critics of Hungarian refugee policy say whatHungary Reduces Number Of Asylum-Seekers It Will Admit To 2 Per Dayhttp://wwno.org/post/hungary-reduces-number-asylum-seekers-it-will-admit-2-day
135211 as http://wwno.orgSat, 03 Feb 2018 15:32:00 +0000Hungary Reduces Number Of Asylum-Seekers It Will Admit To 2 Per DaySoraya Sarhaddi NelsonIt's said that time heals all wounds. But not for people afflicted with dementia like Gerda Noack. The 93-year-old German woman's memory is fading, as is her eyesight. The losses scare her. On a recent morning at the AlexA Residence for Senior Citizens in Dresden, where she lives, Noack sounded anxious as she asked, over and over: "Where am I supposed to go?" Director Gunter Wolfram gently took her arm and suggested they visit a government-run store from the former communist East Germany called Intershop. The once popular chain no longer exists — but a mockup of the store is only a few steps away. For the many East Germans who spent decades trying to free themselves from communism's regimented lifestyle, it might seem like a return to captivity. But for Noack, it's an escape from a mental jail that today's reunified Germany can't unlock. With the director's help, she searches one of the shelves featuring the Intershop logo for items produced in the former East. The sight soothes Noack,Nursing Home Recreates Communist East Germany For Dementia Patientshttp://wwno.org/post/nursing-home-recreates-communist-east-germany-dementia-patients
134340 as http://wwno.orgMon, 22 Jan 2018 14:05:00 +0000Nursing Home Recreates Communist East Germany For Dementia PatientsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonAfter five hours of uncharacteristic sniping and emotion, Germany's Social Democrats at a party congress in Bonn on Sunday voted 362-279 to enter into formal talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel to form a new German government. It's a vital step to ending a nearly four-month long political crisis in Germany after last September's elections failed to give any party – including Merkel's conservatives – a majority. Previous attempts by the chancellor to join with other German political parties in a governing coalition failed. The Social Democrats had also initially refused to join her, given their historically poor showing during the last elections. Many in the party interpreted the results as voter backlash to the last government, in which they were also partnered with the conservatives. Social Democrats who opposed forming a new government with Merkel argued that the values of their party were at stake and that their leaders shouldn't be afraid of new elections, which were likely if theGermany's Social Democrats Party Votes For Formal Coalition Talks With Merkel http://wwno.org/post/germanys-social-democrats-party-votes-formal-coalition-talks-merkel
134302 as http://wwno.orgSun, 21 Jan 2018 18:15:00 +0000Germany's Social Democrats Party Votes For Formal Coalition Talks With Merkel Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonIt may be Fashion Week in Berlin, but the hottest shoes people are lining up for in the German capital are hardly haute couture. The design has the same red, blue and black pattern you'll find on the seats in Berlin buses, streetcars and subways. At $220, the shoes aren't exactly cheap. Unless, of course, you count the transit ticket sewn into the tongue that gives the wearer a free ride in most of Berlin until Dec. 31. An annual ticket from Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, or BVG, the city's mass transit authority, goes for at least four times that amount. The limited edition sneakers — only 500 were produced — are a joint venture between Adidas Originals and BVG . They officially went on sale Tuesday. Many buyers so far appear to have no plan to wear the shoes, however, trying instead to turn a big profit by immediately advertising to sell their newly purchased pairs online . That prompted a wave of complaints on social media, although some tweeters used the opportunity to joke about theBerlin's New Adidas Sneakers Feature Sewn-In Transit Ticketshttp://wwno.org/post/berlins-new-adidas-sneakers-feature-sewn-transit-tickets
134121 as http://wwno.orgThu, 18 Jan 2018 02:09:57 +0000Berlin's New Adidas Sneakers Feature Sewn-In Transit TicketsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonMeet the new German government, same as the old German government. At least that's the plan of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her political allies, who Friday crafted a deal aimed at ending Germany's 3 1/2-month political crisis. It may appear an odd strategy, given that German voters gave the previous government the boot. All three parties making up the last grand coalition — the Christian Democrats (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) — ended up with historically low returns in last September's federal elections. But with snap elections looming after the conservatives tried and failed to reach a deal with several other German parties, the old partners were pressured by the German president — and ultimately, the public — to join together one more time. They avoided the lengthy public spectacle of earlier failed talks, which took place in November, and limited their negotiations to a single week in Berlin with an agreed-to — and largely observed — newsGerman Leaders Agree On New Coalition Talks, But Hurdles Remainhttp://wwno.org/post/german-leaders-agree-new-coalition-talks-hurdles-remain
133831 as http://wwno.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 18:56:00 +0000German Leaders Agree On New Coalition Talks, But Hurdles RemainSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: All right. This morning, meet the new German government. It is the same as the old German government. Chancellor Angela Merkel, her conservatives and center-left allies ended a 15-week-long political crisis and struck a deal to form a government. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more on this from Berlin. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Merkel looked exhausted after a marathon 24-hour final session to clench the deal for a new governing coalition. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: (Foreign language spoken). NELSON: She said she wasn't sure until the very end that the deal would happen and lauded the negotiators for persevering. Without a deal, Germany would've faced new elections. But no one, not even the negotiators, is thrilled about having the same governing coalition that ended up costing its members the worst election showing in history last fall. Horst Seehofer of the conservative CSU party inGerman Chancellor Merkel Strikes Deal For New Coalition Governmenthttp://wwno.org/post/german-chancellor-merkel-strikes-deal-new-coalition-government
133810 as http://wwno.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 13:24:00 +0000German Chancellor Merkel Strikes Deal For New Coalition GovernmentSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: Germany has now been without a government for over three months since the last election. And Chancellor Angela Merkel is in the political fight of her life. Talks to form a coalition have to wrap up by the end of the week. And the political uncertainty over all of this is hanging over Germany for sure but really all of Europe. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is in Berlin covering this. Hi, Soraya. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Good morning, David. GREENE: All right, so this is Merkel's second attempt now to form a coalition. Not much seems to have changed. I mean, the parties she's reaching out to are not necessarily natural allies. Is there any optimism here? SARHADDI NELSON: Well, there is for several reasons. One is that the parties that are negotiating now are actually in the old government, the caretaker government. So they're used to dealing with each other. There's also been a lot of advanced preparation for thisGermany's Angela Merkel Tries For A 2nd Time To Form A Governmenthttp://wwno.org/post/germanys-angela-merkel-tries-second-time-form-government
133475 as http://wwno.orgMon, 08 Jan 2018 09:57:00 +0000Germany's Angela Merkel Tries For A 2nd Time To Form A GovernmentSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonAcross the street from Vienna's iconic Ferris wheel, the Schura Mosque is packed each Friday with Muslims who come to pray. It's one of some 300 mosques and prayer rooms serving 700,000 Muslims who live in Austria and who've enjoyed the same rights as Christians and Jews since Islam was made an official religion there in 1912. A few mosques, like Vienna's Islamic Center, even have a minaret. But they are silent these days, a metaphor of sorts for the low profile many Muslims are keeping because they no longer feel welcome in Austria. One of the worshipers at Schura Mosque on a recent Friday was Viennese Councilman Omar al-Rawi. He said Muslim asylum-seekers are especially afraid to enter mosques nowadays. "They say, 'We won't go to pray because maybe they will think we are radicals so it's better not to pray'" until their refugee status is approved, he explains. Much of the Muslim discomfort in Austria is linked to its new government that was sworn on Dec. 18. One of its factions isAustrian Muslims Say Religious Intolerance Is Growinghttp://wwno.org/post/austrian-muslims-say-religious-intolerance-growing
132820 as http://wwno.orgTue, 26 Dec 2017 21:59:09 +0000Austrian Muslims Say Religious Intolerance Is GrowingSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: Austria has just become the country with the youngest head of government in the world. Thirty-one-year-old year old Sebastian Kurz is due - well, was sworn in as the country's chancellor this morning. But Kurz's youth is not the only reason people are paying attention to the new government in Austria. The coalition he is leading is controversial because it includes a nationalist party linked to former Nazis. In the new government, the Freedom Party controls the Foreign, Interior and Defense ministries, and that's raising concerns in Austria and also abroad. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: The last time the Freedom Party was sworn into the Austrian government was 17 years ago. At the time, the presence of a far-right party, once headed by a former Nazi minister, led other EU states to freeze diplomatic relations with the Alpine country. This time, however, the reaction is muted, given theAustria's Coalition Government Includes Party Linked To Ex-Nazishttp://wwno.org/post/austrias-coalition-government-includes-party-linked-ex-nazis
132265 as http://wwno.orgMon, 18 Dec 2017 10:00:00 +0000Austria's Coalition Government Includes Party Linked To Ex-Nazis